From home to host: The instrumental kaleidoscopic careers of skilled migrants

Abstract

Is it time to reimagine the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) beyond gendered career patterns? In this article, we draw upon the KCM in a novel way to show how skilled migrants, just like a kaleidoscope, adjust their career parameters and construct bespoke career paths in order to cope with the career disruption of an international move. Specifically, the study unpacks the careers of 38 skilled migrants in Ireland and suggests an alternative explanation for skilled migrants’ underemployment. The findings show that this macro career transition – from home to host country – presents both opportunities and challenges for individual migrants in their quest to balance their work- and non-work-related demands. The study contributes to existing literature and debate on skilled migrants’ careers in the business and management discipline by presenting a more complete overview of the concerns and instrumental career choices of skilled migrants in the host country.

Skilled Migrants Employed in Developed, Mature Economies: From Newcomers to Organizational Insiders

“…Expectations-reality gaps often generated two alternative behavioral reactions: domestic turnover or pragmatic accommodation. One group of SMs stayed in “foothold” jobs only long enough to develop host-country human capital (e.g., acquire local work experience) and cultural capital (e.g., learn the local language) (O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003). They moved to another host-country employer as soon as they could gain qualifications-matched employment (e.g., O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003).…”

“…One group of SMs stayed in “foothold” jobs only long enough to develop host-country human capital (e.g., acquire local work experience) and cultural capital (e.g., learn the local language) (O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003). They moved to another host-country employer as soon as they could gain qualifications-matched employment (e.g., O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003). SMs frequently display higher turnover than native-born employees (Enderwick, 2011), in part because they perceive few costs associated with leaving their host-country employers and communities (Halvorsen, Treuren, & Kulik, 2015).…”

“…A second group of SMs, after being underemployed for a few years, made a pragmatic choice to remain in low-level jobs, appreciating the work-life balance and financial resources the jobs delivered (e.g., O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003). For example, O’Connor and Crowley-Henry (2020) found that East European SMs who enjoyed the work-life balance offered by their jobs in Ireland remained with their employers and experienced high subjective career success despite being objectively underemployed. From the perspective of the host-country employer, this might be characterized as a partial socialization success: The employer retained the SM but did not reap the full benefit of the SM’s skills.…”

“…Yet the literature demonstrates that, at best, the socialization process for an SM is likely to be a long and circuitous journey. SMs are likely to change jobs or even occupations (e.g., O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003) before finding satisfying employment. These satisfied SMs include Russian immigrants working as teachers in Israel, especially among teachers with more job security (Remennick, 2002); Spanish SMs who migrated to Switzerland who found work matching their qualifications (about half of the SM sample) (Landolt & Thieme, 2018); dentists who migrated to Australia (Balasubramanian et al, 2016); and Filipino registered nurses working in the U.S. (Ea et al, 2008).…”

“…Our review demonstrates that the empirical database on SMs is lopsided: It documents the socialization barriers an SM encounters (e.g., discrimination) and the SM’s strategies (e.g., problem-focused coping) to overcome them, but it directs insufficient attention to the positive role that the SM’s employer might play in facilitating a successful adjustment. Overall, the empirical literature suggests that when SMs achieve positive socialization outcomes, it is largely due to their own proactivity (e.g., O’Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020; Remennick & Shakhar, 2003). SMs accumulate host-country human and cultural capital to facilitate better employment; they develop problem-focused coping strategies to cope with relationship problems in the workplace.…”